S3 E15. NCAA D1 Final Four Preview: Hear USA Lax HOFer Dom Starsia's Take!

In this episode of 'Get the Lax Scoop,' Jay “The Jaybird” McMahon is joined by lacrosse legends Dom Starsia and Tommy Towers to discuss the latest happenings in college lacrosse. The panel dives into an in-depth recap of the recent thrilling NCAA D1 quarterfinal games, including matchups like Notre Dame vs. Penn State, Georgetown vs. Maryland, Syracuse vs. Princeton, and Cornell vs. Richmond. They provide expert analysis and insights on key players, game strategies, and standout performances. The discussion then shifts to the upcoming NCAA D1 Championship (Final Four) games, with detailed previews of Cornell vs. Penn State and Syracuse vs. Maryland. The episode concludes with predictions for a potential championship showdown. Tune in to catch all the action and expert commentary on this exciting lacrosse journey.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:24 Recap of Notre Dame vs. Penn State

08:24 Georgetown vs. Maryland Analysis

12:19 Thrilling Syracuse vs. Princeton Match

18:52 Cornell vs. Richmond Breakdown

23:36 Preview of Final Four: Cornell vs. Penn State

24:58 Analyzing the Impact of a Single Loss

25:37 Key Players and Stats Breakdown

26:36 Penn State vs. Cornell Matchup Insights

28:20 Predictions for Penn State vs. Cornell

30:59 Syracuse vs. Maryland: A Detailed Preview

39:47 Predictions for Syracuse vs. Maryland

40:27 Potential National Championship Scenarios

46:50 Final Thoughts and Season Reflections

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Transcript

0:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Get the Lack Scoop. Unfortunately, we do not have Ron, the big dog, dogless with us. He is in Brussels having a ball, and our roving reporter is actually at a lacrosse game, high school game, Steve gfi. But we have two fantastic stand-ins. First is Hall of Famer, Dom Staria, four National Championships at UVA two Ivy Championships at Brown. He was the coach, year coach of the year, my senior year. I don't know that I had anything to do with it, but. If I did, you're welcome, Dom, coach of the year 1991. And then we've got, a guy I'm very glad to have played with when I was a freshman. Tommy Towers, Tommy Towers, Andy Towers older brother. Tommy was an all Ivy League selection as well as an All American. And he's been coaching lacrosse and is quite the lacrosse aficionado. So welcome to the program gentlemen. Thank you very much, Jay. I like that intro. Good to be here, Jay. I'm sorry. We're missing dog, but this show probably won't suffer because of that. So well, we'll each get to talk a little bit more. Right, Dom? That's for sure. Although I love the dog. You gotta love the dog. Oh God. He's just a big, lovable dog. Yeah. No doubt about it. So we'll follow our little format that we've done the last couple weeks and we'll try to go through what went on last weekend, which was just an incredible quarter, final round. I feel like every year that round just gets tighter and tighter and more exciting. So you know, we'll, let's go with Notre Dame, Penn State. I've just got a few notes here. I mean, gosh, it was eight to three at halftime, then it was 12 to six in the third quarter, but Notre Dame would not score again for the rest of that game. It was third quarter, maybe four or five minutes left. And just an incredible comeback by Penn State. I mean, Matt Trino was absolutely electric. He ended up with six goals and an assist and and just an incredible finish. So what would you guys say about that, that first matchup? I, I would say I was really, go ahead, Don. I'll go first. I, you know, I, I thought it was an, an unbelievable weekend. I mean, I I don't remember four games like that. Subplots, you know, not, not every game was was like Richmond Cornell, you know but they all had subplots and it was great stuff, and it was kind of the way the whole season went, which was that there, there wasn't a dominant team out there, I don't think, this spring. And so when you, when you brought. Eight good teams together. You were gonna have, you were gonna have good games. And and I thought it was really, really terrific. You know Penn State, Notre Dame you know, it's funny, I didn't see the game. I was out with my my girls and I got home. I couldn't believe the score. And then I, when I heard how the game played out, it was even more. Unbelievable. You know, but it's, it's sort of who Notre Dame was throughout the year. I mean, they went through throughout the year. They went long stretches without scoring, you know, they Right. You know, they, they just they had issues on offense, I think, you know and you know, the, the more amazing piece of it, it was that, that Penn State was still there, you know, was still there, ready to, yeah. Ready to take over the game with 20 minutes to play. I mean. Who gives them the right to feel like they could win that game, you know? Yeah. And I'm sure that Notre Dame felt like, well, we're gonna, we're gonna wear these guys out and we're gonna, we're gonna win this game. And you know, but it was, it was fun to watch. Trainer was unbelievable. He reminded me of Aiden Carroll's performance the weekend before when Georgetown played down at Duke, you know the way that the Carroll boy took over. And, and we'll talk about we'll talk about Penn State going forward, you know, so here we are. We watched Georgetown at Duke and Aiden Carroll takes over the game and they, they buried Duke at Duke, you know, right. And then they come up and, and the next game. So you're thinking, okay, Carroll you know better get ready for Carroll to get, get ready to play him, you know? And and Georgetown kind of disappeared in this round of games, you know? And so you really don't know, you know, how it's gonna play out from game to game and all you know, so I give Penn State great credit. For for being able to make those plays at the end of the game in the last 20 minutes of the game, a a lot of teams might've packed their bags. Penn State did not trainer's performance was extraordinary. I thought. The issue I think for Penn State going forward is do they have enough offense? You know trainer layman, you know, are, are very good players. But you sort of need more, I think, than that to beat these, to meet these better teams and, and down to the, down to Ford of, of the, of the very best left standing here. Right? Absolutely. Towers any commentary? Yeah, I mean so the Notre Dame goalie, I actually coached as like a, as a kid, Richard Deli. Really? Oh, that is cool. Beth. I mean, fifth, sixth grade, I mean, was just unbelievable. And so, you know, I kind of had a little vested interest for, for an Notre Dame in that regard. But you know, my brother's daughter goes to Penn State, so I. You know, there's a little mixed allegiance, but you know, what sticks out to me is that, you know, the game of lacrosse has really grown so fast and there's so many more good players now than there used to be. Right? That kind of on any given Sunday, anything can happen, you know, to dom's pointing, right? And, you know, if you're lauded as one of the game, you know, teams that's. Supposed to win when you get a, in a playoff game and it gets tight and you're supposed to win, you know, I think the, the, the wind blows behind the underdogs and Right. That happened in that game for sure. Right. You know, give Absolutely. I'll give Penn State more credit too. Jay is that they went to the zone late in the game, you know, and right. The zone can be very effective against a team where one guy on that team has the ball dominates the ball, you know, the way that Kavanaugh does for Notre Dame, you know? Right. And so Penn State definitely took the momentum away from Notre Dame when they went to the zone, the offensive momentum for Notre Dame. And then they, the fact that they stuck with it. You know, when you're down six, you're not thinking about playing a zone, you know? That's right. Do and save their guys a little bit and, and, and, and turn the game around. So you give'em a lot of credit for making that adjustment, in the course of the game, you know? Absolutely.'cause you're right, that was right around the time when things started turning around and just incredible, like you said too, like what gave Penn State the right to think that they could win when they're down six to, you know, a, a team that's potentially going for a three-peat. And but they had that belief and scored eight freaking goals in a row. It's unbelievable. And then even right at the end, you know, like you said, it definitely plagued Notre Dame during the season. I actually saw Notre Dame play UNC. Down at UNC and they didn't score for like 30 minutes, it was four, nothing. It should have been eight, nothing UNC and then UNC ends up losing'cause'cause the other thing Notre Dame could do was go on these runs. So it's like the timing was off. They had to run early, they get those 12 goals. And they just couldn't, couldn't finish at the end.'cause they did get two looks right on the goal, right at the goal mouth towards the end. And they just couldn't finish. But that, that was, that was amazing. Peacefully, you know, but with, with Penn State playing a zone, you know, I, I think Notre Dame throughout the year suffered offensively from the fact that didn't really have an X guy. They don't really have a guy to play behind the goal. The good Chris is more of a wing guy, Chris Kavanaugh. Yeah. And the best offensive lacrosse teams. It can hurt you from behind the goal.'Cause that's where you're most vulnerable defensively. If you're a team that you needs to kind of attack from the wing a lot, I think you're gonna be more limited. And with a team sitting in the zone, you know, not being able to sort of attack the zone from behind, you know? Right. It, it hurt them. You know? You know, I, we always, for me in the recruiting. Finding that guy to play at X, whether his name was, you know, for you guys, John Keo or, or Darren Lowe, or Bernie Bonano or, or mm-hmm. Connor Gill and, and Drew McKnight and, and Steele Stanwick. You know, that, that to me was the key position. That's what determined whether or not you're gonna be a good offensive lacrosse team. Yeah. A lot like a point guard basketball, right? Absolutely, absolutely. As long as you had guys like Towers McMahon to get those guys the ball, you'd be okay. But let, let's move on to the next game. We got let's go over Georgetown, Maryland. And as, as Coach Starge was just saying, you know Aiden Carroll comes in just. F you know, steaming hot. Just had that amazing game at Duke. Six goals, two assists at one point, had five goals in a row, and, and then he meets the, the boa constrictor that is the TURPs, and they just shut them down. I mean, gosh, that game was a snoozer. There was only one goal for each team in the third quarter. I mean. And, and just that, that defense for Maryland is just stifling. So what do you guys, what do you guys have to say about that contest? It was nine to six was the final team that averages like 15 goals a game in Georgetown, Maryland. You know, the Maryland defensemen in general. I mean, going back even to our era we're always pretty mean and tough and, you know, kind of a different breed than some of the others. And you know what? They showed up made a big difference, right? Right. No, no doubt me. Marilyn, to me reminds me of the, the old, the Princeton teams from the nineties, you know? Right. But they, they don't care how they look, you know? They just are gonna beat you, you know, and and you know, they're a team that. They, they keep a stranglehold on the pace of the game. You know, they're not gonna ride, you know, they, you think about Virginia basketball, you know people talk about it. We don't, we don't not, we don't rebound offensively. They don't ride. They drop to the midline. They want to slow you down. They want to get their people in the game. They want to be right. Strength in the defensive end and stuff. And you need to, and it's gonna be a factor going forward in this game with Syracuse, I think. Yeah. And I think the game against Georgetown is that you need to create some chaos with Maryland and it's really hard to do, you know? Right. And, and so you create a little chaos by winning face offs and doing some things like that. And, georgetown just wasn't able to do any of those things. And and Marilyn has the people, like Tommy was implying, Marilyn has the people on defense to match up with Carol in a settled offensive set. You know, duke gets themselves spread out. You know, they play man Toman, they don't slide a lot. Mm-hmm. And, and Carol could beat a guy on the, they could win matchups on the perimeter. And then they were, they had their way of getting to the goal, you know? Marilyn's not gonna do that. They're gonna pack it in. You know you, you might get an advantage, you know, dodging your own guy, but the whole frigging defensive unit is, is staring at you, you know? And and so to me they, the, the interesting piece of that game was the fact that John Tillman, you know, is 10 and two in those quarterfinal games and Georgetown right over for the last 10, you know? That's right. That's right. So. Was that gonna, you know, that that in itself is not a factor, but it, it's, it's something, you know, and, and I'm sure it knows right Georgetown guys a little bit, that they have struggled and that was always the, not the knock. Dave Y's a wonderful guy and a great coach, but they couldn't get out of that, that quarter final round, you know? Right, right. That was the, that was the block, the, the stumbling block for them, you know. So you know, it wasn't the electrifying game that the other ones were. But there was a lot going on there. And for somebody that likes to study the game a little bit there was there was some things to like, there also. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. The old saying, it's not nothing, you know, we can't really say the past is gonna affect this game a hundred percent, but it's not nothing, you know, that tillman's 10 and two or 10 and one, whatever he is, and Georgetown's oh and 10. It's something, it's in their head a little bit, you know? So, absolutely. That was cool. And then and I think, you know, Marilyn does go all the way. It's gonna be the same kind of thing. It's gonna be these kind of stranglehold, defensive, you know, you know, stances and stops. And then you've got McNaney. I mean, McNaney is definitely one of the best goalies in college lacrosse. Again, he's this in his sixth year, the goalie for the TURPs. And so we'll see what happens. But let's move on to the next game from that weekend was Syracuse, Princeton, 19 to 18. Holy cow. That that was. Absolutely amazing. 1611 with like five seconds left in the third quarter and then Princeton scores, so it's 1612 going into the fourth, and next thing you know it's 16 all, Princeton takes the lead 18 to 17. That was incredible. After being down, that was another, you know, maybe not quite as dramatic as the Penn State game, but absolutely dramatic. You know, they come back, they take the lead, and then you gotta give Syracuse credit, you know, they tie it back up and then they take the lead and there's still three minutes left in the game. Actually, it was like three minutes and 50 seconds. I've got the note here. But great to see our good friend his son, Peter Bonano having three goals and three assists. Bernie's son Peter, and so what are your guys' comments on this game? You know, listen, playing Syracuse, I mean, maybe it's just kind of, you know, the era that I grew up in with the Gates and Meek and all the other guys, like, they were like the Harlem Globetrotters back in the, so there's an aura around. And I don't know if it factored in at all. Obviously Princeton had a fantastic season. Bernie's son was unbelievable. But I just feel like in these playoffs a lot of times, you know, having a little dirt underneath your fingernails isn't gonna hurt you. You know what I mean? Yeah. So. You know, those Syracuse and Syracuse coming in, they had, you know, at the end of their season this year, they had lost three games in a row going into that a CC tournament. And and they win the a CC tournament. And then here they are in a run in the playoffs. And for them too, it, I think it's been maybe four years in a row they've lost in the quarterfinals. And so that was, you know, in the back of their head. Yeah. And you know, good for them. They pulled it out. Dom, what do you have to say? Not a lot of defense in this one, I think. Well, that's I think it was something for everybody though. I mean, if you're a lacrosse fan, I mean you, if you were watching that game, you know, you're a bigger lacrosse fan you know, just stuff, great stuff going on. You're right, but neither team. Neither team was playing any defense, really. I mean, you had two teams that were sort of a mirror of each other. People talked all year about Princeton and how skilled they were and how well they moved the ball and all. Well, you'd certainly say that about Syracuse, that, that the same thing. It just, it didn't preoccupy people the same way that it did talking about Princeton, you know? Right. But, but it was, that was gonna be a, you know, sort of who had the ball last kind of, kind of result really.'cause neither team was able to stop the other one. Or was, you know, they, they, you know, and that's a perfect example of. Two teams not being willing to do what Maryland does. You know, when they, when they get games, you know we're, we're gonna slow it down. We're gonna be more patient, you know, and, and some of my, my Virginia teams were guilty of that, you know you know that game that we played in the dome that year 22 to 21? Oh, right. We were in a hu we were in one of the huddles, and I, I looked in the huddle and I, I said, Hey fellas, we're allowed to slow this down, you know? Right. And they eye contact with me and every one of them was saying, you know, muttering under his breath, no way, coach. You know? Right, right, right. But you kind of on one hand want that, don't you, knowm. I think on every, on every level as a fan. So you want that, you know, and you know, and as a coach, you know, in, I think it's different in the regular season. You know, if fair, if you had said to me, Tommy, for you to win this game, you've gotta take the air outta the ball. And I'm taking the air outta the ball.'cause I wanna play on the weekend. Of course. And you know, so maybe in March or February, okay, we're gonna let'em play. We don't even know who we are yet. We're gonna, we're gonna let'em play and get after it and stuff. And I think that was the beauty of our, some of our games with Syracuse over the years that people used to talk about. For sure. But this was a game in which it really was, you know who had the ball last and, and, you know, I, again, it, it feeds into the next round of games where Syracuse is gonna face the exact opposite of Princeton, you know? Right, right. In a team, in a team like Maryland, you know, and you know, so if you're, if you're gonna get in a shooting match be careful with, with Syracuse you know, maybe especially at this time of the year you know, so but it was that was a really, really exciting, I mean, you did think. You know, at, at so many different times at the end, oh, okay, Princeton's won. They're gonna win now. You know, and Right, right. Well, it was never over until, until that whistle blew at the, at the very, very end. And, and Syracuse happened to be up a goal, you know it was really a fun game for, for everybody. You know, that's, that's kind of the way you want it too. I mean, like as a fan, right? I mean, obviously Abso Absolutely. Yeah. Right. It just makes so much more fun and exciting and, I actually was talking to Brett Jefferson, you remember the goalie, Syracuse goalie back in the day? Today. Yeah. And he's all lathered up, so it's, it's, it's fun how all the alums come out. Oh, yeah. You know? Right. And the tech start coming and it's really cool. Fun time beer. Absolutely. Yeah. For Syracuse, you know, we, we talked about Georgetown and, and that thing and how to imagine that Syracuse hasn't been in the Final Four and. Yeah, in 12 years now and 12 years, exactly right. I got, I got that in my notes. 12 years. Oh, first time in 12 years. They've been to 27 final fours. They haven't been there in 12 years. Well, in I, in our, in your generation fellas, they were there 22 years every year, you know? Oh my God. And that Ronnie have that, that is sick. 22 years in a row in the final four, number 22, the end of it at 22. Oh, I'll say going up and playing in the dome like is just like, you know, you feel like the Washington Generals playing the Harlem Globetrotters, at least from Right. You know, I mean it was like, oh my God, our freshman, my freshman year. Yeah. Oh God. We learned from that. It's crazy. And this team, you know, isn't that characteristic? I mean they, the gates were physical on top of being the best skills, best skilled players out there, and probably the fastest that team is big. Like this team is small. For Syracuse, but they, when they're hot, they've got such good sticks and they know each other so well, they can anticipate where guys are going. And Joey s Plana, you know, who gets a lot of kinda heat for not really being able to beat his guy much did beat his guy several times, had four goals and four assists and so that they just found a way. It'll be very interesting to see if they don't get strangled by the boa constrictor of Maryland. If they can make that an exciting game, that that would be cool. Well, but we're gonna get to that in a minute. Let's finish up these games that happened in the quarter final round. So, Cornell Richmond another great game. And I didn't even jot down the final, I think it was 1312. I. Corn for sure. And if Richmond had had one more shot, I think,'cause that was kind of the weak link for, for Cornell. Their goalie only had let me see, I took the note. He only had 38% safe percentage on the day and was letting some shots in that weren't great. Their defense I thought was good. If Richmond could have had one more shot, who knows? And CJ cursed. You know, played well enough, but he was getting a little frustrated. Had Goldstein really step up. The other attack, man, long, Michael Long had four assists and then the midfield midfielders picked up the slack and, and scored. So what do you guys have to say about that matchup? And Dom, I know Dom's the commentator for University of Richmond Spider, so he's watches this team closely all season long. So let's see what you have to say there. Dom thoroughly enjoyed being associated with the program. I think Coach Danny Ani does a great job to me. That game was a, a little bit more buttoned up version of Princeton, Syracuse, you know and I, I thought going into the game, some people ask me and you know, I thought that. Richmond was gonna need some help from the Cornell goalie to have a chance. You know, they don't have, they don't really have an an A-list offensive guy, Richmond. They, they, they're, their, their, their strength is in their group. You know they, they move the ball. They're unselfish, they're willing to do the little things that you need to do in order to win, you know? Right. But at, at, at the same time. Occasionally you just need, you know, you need CJ cursed, you know, and, and one of the reasons I think Pinnell has an advantage going into this next weekend is they're the only team that has him, you know? Right, right. I just think that, you know, in the game, he had a quiet game. He had a quiet game. The first time I. That Richmond played Cornell early in the year when Cornell also beat them by a goal, you know? Right. I was at Richmond, so I was doing the TV for that game. He was, had a very quiet game, but in the end, and I was in the booth, Dom, you were doing your best. That was impressive. I think would've in the last five minutes, he ha he has the ball every time and, and, and he softens up a defense, you know? Right. Everybody on the Richmond defense is paying attention to him and it creates space for all the other guys on that Cornell team. And I think corn, it's. Has by, by far, I think has the best, most complete offense of the teams that are left standing here going into the final weekend, you know, and right. And so I, I felt like. Richmond's only gonna have a chance if the Cornell goalie helps him a little bit. The Cornell goalie's Hot Richmond doesn't ha is not dangerous enough offensively. And the Cornell goalie did help him, you know, I mean he, he just wasn't a factor in the game. And, and Viu was, was terrific for Richmond at the other end. He was. Yeah. You know and so that, that was, that was the key there. And and at the end of the day, you know, I Cornell. Just has a lot of pieces on offense. Really impress as I've watched the season go on with Young Goldstein, you know? Right. Really have a nice balance that those three attack men work really well together. You know, long has been, you know, this we're talking about, we're all Ivy League guys. You're not supposed to be an Ivy League school for six years, undergraduate, extra long. Long and Goldstein and cursed. You know, they got the righty. You know, he's smart. He can finish out there on, on Long Goldstein and X, you know, he's not quite his dad yet, but he, but he's getting there and and, and cursed is a phenomenon. I think, you know, he just, I. His superpower to me is making the players around him better. You know? Right, right. You look at some guys, some similar guys recently, and I don't mean, you know, Brennan O'Neill was an animal, you know? Right. He was, he was stronger than cursed, you know but Kurt's ability to move without the ball, his ability to pass, you know, his ability to, to be a good shooter, you know, from different spots and stuff. It just elevates all those other guys, creates space for all those other guys. And, and like I said earlier Cornell's the only team that has him. And occasionally, as you guys are well aware, you know, you just need your big boy. To step up and make a play for you, you know? Right. And he's capable of doing that, you know you know, so it, it was a, it was, to me, that was the best game of the weekend in the sense that was really good lacrosse. Two teams. Right. You know, playing smartly. Did a nice job on defense. Both groups, even though Cornell was struggling a little bit. The cage, you know, you know, Richmond wasn't a team that's gonna come down and just run by people, and they needed to take a little time. They did. They kept getting chances. You know, they would, they were, they were they were good in terms of finishing their, their good opportunities you know but in the end ologists had a little, a little too much for my doctor. Mm, right. Absolutely. All right, well, great. Let's get into our preview for Final four Championship weekend. So we've got, let's go right into Cornell versus Penn State. Since we're talking Cornell they played during the regular season that is Cornell's only loss of the year in overtime to Penn State which is certainly interesting and and funny, I actually watched that game just the fourth quarter and it was 12 to eight. Cornell. And the funny thing is Penn State did not have Lehman and they did not have Matt Trainor. They both were outta the game for whatever reason, they didn't play. And but it was kind of unfortunate because there was a penalty on the face off that didn't look as brutal as they, they called it, they called it a two minute non releaseable, and that did help Penn State. They scored like three goals on that. It was like two and a half minutes left in the game. They're down by four goals. They tied it and then they wanted an ot. So that was, it was a, you know, definitely wouldn't want to call it Fluke, but it's not nothing. Again, it, you know what, this favors Cornell, you know, I mean, it's their only loss, right. We're not gonna see'em sneaking up on'em. Yeah. And you know, they're lathered up. And I, listen, I've been playing with the Rusty Red. Lacrosse team now for a few years. And oh, we speak state, lot of color from, from all the guys, Timmy and Tado and Liba, all these guys. And they're great guys, you know, and they're and, and, you know, they are pretty locked in. And I think that you know, everything's kind of lining up for'em. Now they, they gotta execute. But seeing that that was their only loss. I think just is gonna make'em that much. I mean, listen, kids are still college kids, right? Right, right. But I think that that loss is gonna stick with them and make'em, maybe take a couple extra shots and, you know, run a little harder and just be a little bit more focused. Which as we all know in these tight games, that little micro edge might be the difference. Right, and nobody saw it coming in 2023 though, when Penn State hung with Duke. So I think it's gonna be a heck of a game. Just some little stats here. The actually the, I think it's, his name is Kent Orno, the goalie for Cornell. He was actually 29%. Against wow. Against Richmond, say percentage. He's 52% on the year though. And then against Penn State, when he, when they lost, he was 38%. So that'll, that'll have to keep an eye on that. Freon is a good goalie. He's got a Final four experience, yet he's 49%. On the year, say percentage, so interesting to look at. And then faceoff percentage, we got a guy from Garden City, Jack Cadden. He is at 62% of the year. He is done very well, but this freshman for Penn State has done very well. He's only really been the starter for the last three or four games. First game he started was against Maryland. He was 75%. Oh no, no, 82. 82% against Maryland, against Maryland. On May 1st, and then Colgate, he is 75%. And he didn't play much in that Cornell game. So it'll be interesting to see that matchup. Dom, what do you, what do you have to say about this Penn State versus Cornell matchup here? I, I, I think that I think that the neither playing particularly well, and so he, both goalies are a little bit of a wild card, I think. And you know, I, it's hard to imagine. One of them could get red hot. But even above, if, even if one of them get above 50%, it would be a positive for esteem. Right. But I think, you know, when, when people talk about games, you always, you almost, you almost always talk about goalies and faceoff play. I would say that both of those are a wash, you know mm-hmm. And so I don't see a big advantage for either team that way there. You know both teams I think have solid defensive personnel. But I think the difference in between the two teams is. Cornell has more pieces offensively, you know right. I, I I don't think the zone will be as effective against Cornell as it would be, as it was in, in the, in the past game and stuff. They've got that guy at X and they can play Goldstein back there, and he is very good at it. And, and that having that guy at x. Gives you the ability to change the field almost instantly, you know, and so that, right. Much more dangerous and all. And you know, so between the three attack men and then Kelleher and, and the other kid the other kid in the, on, in the midfield 51 51, can't think of his name. He's very good. Got five guy. If you've got five guys on offense, you know, now you can attack the shorts. Really attack the short you're, you're, you're you're gonna be much more dangerous offensively. And, and like I say, it's mostly a trainer in Lehman for Penn State in terms of being able to initiate mm-hmm. Like I say, given a week to prepare. You know, I would think, I think it's a significant advantage for Cornell with, with the, with the, with the personnel that they have on, on offense, you know? So, okay. Let's get a prediction done. What, what's your score? The score of the game? Yeah. I. Well, you know, like I say, I, I don't think if a goalie is not a factor I think you're gonna have a hard time keeping Cornell under 15, you know? And and you know, Tom, that's your prediction then. Who knows? I can't tell you if the goalie is gonna be a factor or not. You gotta factor that in. Well, no, well, I'm, I, I'm giving you a score. My, my score for the for that game would be 1511 Cornell. Ooh, nice. Tommy t what do you say? Yeah, I was, I was thinking 16, 10 in my head the whole time when Don was talking, so, Ooh, come on, Tommy. You were not thinking that. Yes, I was. Yes, I was. Tom, I have written down here 14 to 12, just'cause, I mean, I, I, I could lean, I could definitely see,'cause most of Cornell's. Tough games. They did win by like five goals. They beat Princeton by five, they beat Syracuse by five. I don't know. They beat a bunch of teams that are good by like five goals, so I would go with that, but I'm just gonna go with that. Penn State really steps up in these big games, so I'm gonna say they're pesky. But I agree. I think Cornell is just too much. They, they're too balanced. And as Dom just said, if they do throw out that zone, that might even be, you know, the kiss of death.'cause I think the zone, they would eat that alive. The the big red and. They have, they have good rain shooting the ball cursed, right? Kelleher cursed too. Well, Kelleher's good. You know, they are so it's, it's tough to, tough to be good in the zone when you can attack from X and you got rain shooting the ball. So you're gonna pull that zone out a little bit, you know? You know, so I just think good. Cornell, like I said earlier, is I think the best offensive team in the weekend. And, and I think there'll be a little too much for Penn State on Saturday. Right. I'm with you. All right. Next up actually, given it was their only loss, right? Right. That's the thing. I agree. If they, let's say they hadn't played them and or maybe they beat'em by five. Right. And I think they could sneak up on them, but that's their own rules. They were on, they were on course to beat them by five Jay, you know, I mean Oh, true. You didn't mention that when they were. You know, those four goals were scored in the last 2 27 of that game, right? I mean, it was 12 eight with two and a half minutes to play. You know, that's, I was, I was sitting there watching it, you know, in my living room and I just couldn't believe my eyes. I'm like, well, you get, it's usually kinda like a minute, a goal when, when it's a big, when it's more than two goals. I mean, obviously you can score two goals and, and. 15 seconds if you needed to, but if it's four goals, it's kind of that rule. Like, but yeah, it, it was, it was very unusual. So yeah. Didn't, we didn't, didn't we beat Loyola that one year down at Loyola? By, when were we down four by? We were down 12. Seven. We were down by five. In, in, in the fourth, but we had the whole fourth quarter. It was kind of the beginning of the fourth quarter when they scored that call to make it 12 seven. Yeah. But yeah, true. We did, but we had we'd little more time than that. All right, so let's go with SU versus Maryland. This is interesting to kind of just think about. You know, you know, but I'll let's see, what, what are the notes here? Well, you know, just that Syracuse is so good offensively with their sticks. He got Spel Owen, HIL, Michael Leo, Sam English, this freshman, Peyton Anderson has been really a powerful kind of mid-season edition. And their goalie McCool played very well against Princeton. I mean, he, he might've been the difference in a, in a 1918 game, if that's possible. But he had 12 saves and he had the last left'cause he had two saves at the end of that game. So so that's, you know, that's what Syracuse has. Their defense is solid. I apologize for not having names, but I do know that number 81 is really good and oh my gosh, who's our guy? The name's escaping me. I'm having a, a moment here. But anyway, they, their defense is solid, but you know, we know who Maryland has. They've got Spanos Braden, Ursa, Daniel Kelly. They are all, you know, not gonna blow you away, but they're all super solid. They all have like 40 points. They've got three midfielders, all with 30 points. So they're, they're essentially low scoring, but they're consistent. You know, they've got Keegan Ford and Whit eight at the midfield. And their defense obviously is outstanding, along with their goalie might be the best goalie in the tournament and probably one of the best goalies in the country. So guys, what do you think about this one? I. I would, I would say you know, McNaney could be the difference in the game. But I do think McCool is solid. And so I don't think there you go into that game thinking you have a real deficit in the goal. You know? You know, I think that Syracuse needs to be very good facing off.'Cause again, I think we talked about a little bit earlier, I think they really need a little bit more chaotic pace in order to thrive here. You know, and, and you right. Hate that coming off the face, off and ground balls off the wing and things like that. And, and they need to attack in the unsettled, and Marilyn is the best team at. Limiting unsettled opportunities, you know? Right. But that's a great point.'cause looking up their face off Guy Mullin is 64% for Syracuse, and then they got of a kind of a tag team for Maryland and they're 52%, but they've had some games where they're like 17% or 20%, you know, Maryland. So that's a great point. Yeah. I I, if there's a key guy, I think it might be Mullen. I, I think that Syracuse needs to be really good facing off because they will have more possessions then. But then also I think they have a chance to create situations that they can thrive in. I, you know, they, they were good offensively in this game against Princeton. It's hard to know if they're good enough, you know, offensively in the box, you know? And so, you know, I look at, I look at Syracuse against Maryland and say, okay, who's winning their matchup on for them on offense? You know? Right. Who's running by? Somebody who's running, running by one of those Maryland poles, you know? And, and the person, one of the guys you might be looking for is a kid like English, you know? Right. Somebody like that who's gonna attack out in the midfield where they may be a little bit more vulnerable. You know, so i, you know, this one will, this is a very interesting chess match here. I think, you know again, you know, Maryland does not ride, which, so they don't give up a lot of those unsettled opportunities. They want to get in the box on defense. They want to get their personnel in the game. Mm-hmm. They, they wanna defend you in the box. They will. Take advantage of unsettled opportunities when they produce them. But then, but again, they're a team that is not, doesn't have any problem going deep into a shot clock. And so, you know, if, if it's not right, if it's not wide open and obvious, they're gonna pull a ball out, sub their people in and they, you know, you just feel like they're putting a stranglehold on the game a little bit. Kinda like your, you what do you public constrictor, constrictor a little bit. You know, it's a hybrid turtle. Yeah. Yeah. So I, I, I, you know, the. TURPs kind of had their way with them the first time around. Right. It was like 11 seven and it wasn't that close. Yeah. But it was like the second or third week of the season. It was early. I don't, I mean, I think Syracuse maybe playing better right. But I still, I still think that I think that TURPs maybe have too much experience and too much defense for him. And so I'll, I'll hear what Tommy has to say before I make my. I like it. I like it. I, I kind of lean with you. You know, I mean, the TURPs are, are, are battle tested and they're veterans and Syracuse, you know, has had a kind of so-so year for Syracuse, right. And they, I think after winning that first game, probably exhaled a little bit. You can't really exhale in the playoffs. You gotta fricking tighten it up and be locked in all everybody. Right, right. And yeah, I mean, I like the erritory and that, and that's a good point because I think Syracuse, you know, they, they kind of hit, had to hit the peak to beat Princeton it seems like. Right. And they, you know, all these teams. It was interesting looking at all these teams coming in, in the beginning of the season, like every team, duke, Virginia. Not really UNC, not really Syracuse, all those other teams lost a lot of players. Maryland lost a lot of players from last year. Notre Dame lost, you know, every team lost basically like six top players. It seemed like top starters, except really for Syracuse. I mean, UNC returned a lot of guys, but they returned a lot of freshmen. Guys were freshmen last year and sophomores, but Syracuse had a lot of these guys who were experienced. So I thought they were gonna come flying out of the gate. And then maybe it would take time for a team like Maryland to catch up, kind of what happened last year with Maryland. But that really, they really were kind of slow and they're gelling, but I feel like for them to. To win a game like that Princeton game. I mean they have just gotta be flying on all cylinders. Like they don't have much margin for victory. And as Dom was saying, you know, I would agree. I don't think there's any way guys like Joey Sina and Owen Helt as good as they are, are running by defensemen for Maryland. Like that is just not gonna happen English though. He's a two-way mid I think that is a great point. Like he could pick up the ball off the face, off their face off guy actually shoots well. Off the break himself. That is gonna be the key, but I don't, I just don't know that they, they've got enough in the tank. So I, I'll tell you too, you know, it's funny I think that all this conversation about Lina not being able to run, run by anybody has got his attention, you know? Right. And so it'll be interesting to see, you know probably playing against the best individual defensemen in the country here from Maryland. It'll be interesting to see what impact he has on the game. There have been games when. He really hasn't been too much of a factor because he can't, he can't generate some, in some, in some situations he was a little bit better, but I don't know that whether or not it speaks to Princeton's defense or not, you know, and I think different for Maryland. One of the things we haven't really talked about that I think is a factor too, is that, I'll tell you, Marilyn's not great on offense. You know, you know, for them, for them to get Yeah. Ranking wise, they're like number 25 in offensive efficiency for them to get to 10 goals. Would, you know, you'd say in certain circumstances that, that that'd be pretty good. And so you're saying you gotta hold Syracuse under 10, you know? Right. And so so it'll that, that, that piece of it will be very interesting. So this is, this game is a little bit more of the, of the chess match that I think that'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Well, I'll say Dom another great point because a stat just popped into my head while I was watching that game. They said the TURPs, if they hold the other team to 10 or less are 132 and 12. It's like a 92% win percentage. So yeah, I think you're right. That magic number is gonna be 10 goals. Like if they can hold'em to 10 goals, like it's, forget about it. But if Syracuse can score 11 or 12, then game on again. When we're talking about, I'll take the under, we're talking about Virginia basketball, you know, the fact that they always had a very low goals, again, baskets against that, points against average. Yeah. And that is not so much doesn't speak to their defense, it speaks to, to their offense. You know, it, it speaks to how do you wanna play on offense. And so again, Maryland desperate to keep the score down, goes deep into the shot clock oftentimes. And they're very comfortable doing that. So they're subbing people in, right? They're holding the ball, you know and, and Syracuse has gotta figure out a way to sort of, I think, break that. Break that chain a little bit if they can. You know, so it'll be interesting to see if they can do it. And again, I think the face off piece is one where, where it's the more obvious opportunity to do those kind of things. That's why I think Syracuse needs to be very good at DX on Saturday. Right. Yeah, I agree. And I think that's kind of their, their only chance and, and it's actually good chance for them to keep it close.'cause they definitely have the advantage at the X and Maryland used to love to have that slow level of play when they had that dominant face-off guy for five or six years who's not there anymore. So so definitely interesting. All right, let's get predictions on this one. Coach Starge, what do you say? I was, I was gonna pick Maryland. And you know, like I say, I, I think, you know, playing Syracuse creates some unsettled opportunities for your own team, and I, I think Maryland needs to take advantage of those when those opportunities present themselves. So I think that's a good point. I think they are likely to get to 12. But I, I think that they, they hold Syracuse to eight, so I would say 12 eight. Ooh, I already have it on my phone. I have 11 eight. I I was just literally 11, nine coming outta my mouth. Next. All right, let's put it down. Nice. All right, cool. Well, now let's assume that Cornell wins and Maryland wins. So let's do a little, little chat about a potential national championship game between Cornell and the Terrapins of Maryland. Dom, what do you say? Best offense in the game and the best defense in the game, you know on, on opposite sidelines. Right. I think, I think Cornell is. Special on offense, you know again, McNaney could be a big factor in a game like that, you know? Right. He steps up. Cornell's not that experienced, you know, he's, he steals a couple, you know Cornell starts to grip their sticks a little tighter. You know, going on. Marilyn's a little bit more experienced, I think in those, in those kind of situations. But I'm an Ivy League guy and you know I'm not like Tommy. I'm not a Homer. I didn't play for Rusty Red. But I would I, I would take the offensive team in that game and I, I, I, I'd go with the Big red NICE Score Score. Hmm. I hadn't really thought about that. Well, hard to keep them under 15, but I think Marilyn could probably do that. So let's call that game let's call that game 13 nine. Ooh, nice. It's, it's unbelievable. Like literally, I, I was saying 14 eight, but like every game we picked Dom and I have been like one goal on either side. Right? Right. And I'm right with you on this one. I'm there, I'm 12 eight, but. Tee Tee, let's hear your, your breakdown. What do you think? I just, I mean, maybe I'm biased because I just love those Cornell guys because I've been playing with them for so long. I mean, come on. I, I, I'm having trouble listening to this phrase over and over again, but Go ahead. No, it's, listen. I mean, you know, listen, I love the brown guys too, but you know, what do you love more? I think that's the question. It's not an either or, you know, it's, it's like, who do you love more? Your mom or your dad, right? I mean, oh my God. Wow. Yeah. But anyways, I mean, you know, I've just hung around with them. I mean, obviously, I. You know, love Bernie and I talked to him the other day and you know, obviously could we talk about the teams towers? Okay. How about these two teams that are mentioned background? Cornell's gonna win the game. Cornell's a deeper team. They got the momentum and I just don't think there's any way they lose his game. Okay. Score. Oh, you said a 13, nine. Yeah. Okay. I like it. Think, think of it this way, fellas. Who do you like, who do you like on 36 hours? Rest. True rest is important. That's fair. Yeah. I have a week. You have a week going into your semi-final game. You got a day and a half going into the final game, you know? Does that favor the more experienced team with the more way a lot more experienced coach, you know? Yeah. Or does it do you still like Cornell's depth in that situation? Tommy, I, I, I mean, I just think that, cornell's a better team, top to bottom. And if they're playing in the national championship, I mean, maybe they're a little more tired or whatever, but I just think that you know, the cream rises and they have a lot of synergy as a group and momentum. So I may be wrong, but I just, that's what I believe is gonna happen. Gotcha. I like it. I think that's a good point though, Dom, and in fact, Quint Knick was talking about that for Maryland in that they don't have a lot of depth at they're midfield and he is kind of pointing the finger at that fact saying that that might be why they lose a lot of finals.'cause he says, you look at a lot of these teams, I think Coach Tillman is two in six in finals, two in six losses. And he's, he's saying they don't really have the depth, which is true. They don't have the depth of midfield, that's for sure. And I don't, I don't really know about D Midi so much, but interesting. But I, and I think that the X factor to your point could be CJ cursed. Like they don't have like, you know, the guy that if people are a little, you know, tired out, like the end of that. First game against Richmond during the regular season, he might've had two goals and two assists in the game. But when they scored four in a row he had like two hockey assists. You know, as, as you were saying, Dom, he draws the whole defense in and he's not afraid to just give it up, who get who, you know, get it back to Goldstein, who then. Attacks the weak side for a feed, you know, so like, he's very unselfish. So I think he's the X factor. I certainly could see Marilyn doing it because of McNaney and because of the experience they have there. But Cornell, CJ Kst was in the, in the finals when he was a freshman, so was, who else Kelleher was there. So they have some guys who were there, they have a defenseman, they, Chris Davis is a short stick d midi who was there too. So they've got some guys who've been there before. So it's certainly, I think that will be a hell of a game as well. And what I got jotted that down, I don't think I'm going with 12 eight Cornell wins their first national title since 1977. People have always asked me, you know, how do you win close games? And I don't mean to be flip, but my, my response is that good players, you know, and and we lost our first, we lost our first two. Times in the NCA cha in NCA finals and overtime. Right. It was, you know, Kevin Lowe the first time, and Jesse Hubbard the second time. You know? Right. And you know, the fact that they have CJ do have CJ sd, you know it just, you know, those guys have a way of making a play when, when a game is being decided. And if it comes down to, down to something like that, that that could be the difference right there, you know? And I, I could say, I don't think we can overstate. The, the influence of CJ Kerstan, you know, honors on the sport this year and on these games in particular. Even when he has that quiet game, he just, you know, everybody's looking at him, you know? Right. Again, you're suggesting the hockey assisting is a good analogy because he creates space for these other guys. You know when we were, when we won the championship in 2011, if you had said to me before the game. Steel Stanwick and Chris B, were gonna have one assist between them. No way you would've said that We were gonna win that game. And Steel was very, he was satisfied to be the hockey assist guy, and that's what he had about four or five hockey assists in that game. Mm-hmm. We only won nine, seven. That's what the, that's what the great ones are willing to do whatever it takes to win. And and Cornell's got that guy, and, and that, that could be the difference. Right. One of the famous, he used to use that saying, right Dom. Which one was that? Is that right? Whatever, whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to win, baby. Right. Good stuff. Well, excellent guys, this has been fantastic. I, I just love all the commentary and even looked up a few facts here or there. So any, any final thoughts? I just hope with their, their tight games and comes down to the, the last goal, and I just is always so much more fun and exciting for everybody. I'm with you there if you're losing sight. Of course. It's been a good ending to a very intriguing season, you know, and I think college sports, college lacrosse could be go undergoing big changes in these next couple of years. You know, I don't know whether or not I. You know, this is the end of an era or the beginning of a new thing. But if this NCA legislation passes and teams can give out an unlimited number of scholarships, essentially you're gonna have a disparity amongst that can afford it and not so and mm-hmm. Big, big changes afoot. I think so I think enjoy this one while we have it, and I think it's gonna be a great weekend. I'm with you. I'm with you. All right guys, everybody have a great weekend. Thanks so much for being on the show, guys, and thanks. We'll speak to you soon. All right, take care. Until we meet again. Here's to hoping you find the twine. We're signing off here at the get the lax scoop. Thanks again so much. We will see you the next time.